“Alright. Thank you.” Darcy gave a nod. Kiev soon drove his car over. It was a Maybach with a Sunrise City license plate. He got out of the car and opened the door to the front passenger seat for Darcy. Darcy hesitated for a moment. Since it was rude to sit in the back seat, she accepted the gesture and took a seat. The Maybach drove away. Behind the willow tree by the lake, Kaze watched the Maybach kick the dust behind it while clenching his fists. He was filled with a mix of emotions. Kaze had witnessed the sweet moment Darcy and Kiev shared in front of his home entrance. “Mr. Lee, Kiev’s father is the vice commander of the South River Strategic Department. When you were taken away to the holding cell, he asked his father to stop Lefteria Group’s retaliation against Ms. Quint’s family.” Don cautiously reported to Kaze his knowledge of the situation. “I don’t need him to butt in on my family affairs,” Kaze said curtly. Kiev’s feelings were apparent at the Lily
“Renew your vows? As if that’s going to happen. “Haven’t you given us enough problems, Kaze? “Remind me how many times we have been in trouble since you married into our family? “You’re a train wreck and a curse. The nerve of you to say you’d renew your vows with Darcy. Get lost now!” Agnes glared at Kaze in disdain. If Don was not there, Agnes would have gotten in Kaze’s face and hit him. “Come on, Don.” Without another word, Kaze took off. He planned to stay at the residence next door which Draco bought. Unless Darcy said the word, he would never give up on her. “Leave now and never step foot on Horizon Mirror Mansion again.” Not done with Kaze, Agnes shouted at his back. “Cut it out, Agnes. Kaze has done everything for you before this happened. When you and Sky were forced to kneel yesterday, he was the one who came to your rescue. “The child was fooled and led astray,” feeling bad, Hector said. Agnes felt awkward as yesterday’s incident came to mind. She
Darcy looked her best friend in the eye nervously. She knew that Miru must hate Kaze after losing her godfather. Her words might anger her. Darcy did not want to lose her best friend. Nevertheless, she needed to seek the truth and find out whether Kaze was framed. To her surprise, Miru displayed no anger. She stared into Darcy’s eyes and asked, “What if we find evidence that Kaze killed my godfather?” Darcy clenched her teeth. “Then I have nothing to say. He deserves it.” “Alright. Let’s check it out.” Darcy was not expecting Miru to be on board and rather quickly too. “After clearing my head, I realized something wasn’t right about my godfather’s death,” Miru explained indifferently. She put on her sunglasses and drove away. The car soon hit the highway. Darcy asked in confusion, “Where are you taking me, Miru?” She had the utmost trust in Miru, so she doubted Miru had sinister motives to take her out of Lilyrose. “How are we going to work the case with just
“100 million dollars is too much.” Miru frowned. Even Darcy was shocked. 100 million dollars for a piece of intelligence was daylight robbery. Shane shook his head and said with a smile, “I’m not asking for a lot. Mr. Cummingham is the underworld kingpin whose influence extended to the South River state. His passing is more than meets the eye. I’m putting my people at risk to investigate his death.” Miru was without a word. The key players of Lefteria Group stripped her of power, so she had no access to funds. “If you find the price expensive, you’re welcome to leave, Ms. Scarlet. I won’t charge you for the drinks. We are all friends. There’s no telling if we will have business deals in the future.” While talking, Shane showed them the door. The man may seem friendly and approachable, but he was a seasoned professional who knew what he was doing. “100 million dollars, it is, Mr. Blanc,” Darcy got up and said. She believed 100 million dollars was worth confirming w
Leo soon arrived in Melrose. He met Shane who had been waiting at the logistics park. “Business has been booming here in the past two days. I have met two successors of Lefteria Gang now.” Shane said with a smile, “I’m sure you’re here to see me about investigating a mole.” “Do you know who the mole of Lefteria Gang is?” Leo asked emotionlessly. “Yes, but you should follow my rules in business. My services don’t come free.” Shane carried a drink over. Leo held the drink in his hand without taking a sip. He asked, “How much did Miru spend?” “Her companion, Ms. Quint, spent 100 million dollars. She has paid half up front.” Shane revealed without holding back. Leo scoffed. “These women are sure willing to pay a lot.” He glanced at Shane. Shane was a classic businessman. If it were a regular transaction, Shane would not disclose as much as he did. For Shane to divulge the amount Miru spent, Shane must have discovered that Leo was the mole at Lefteria Group. Leo
“Let’s head back to Lilyrose now, Miru,” with her eyes welled up, Darcy said eagerly. Since Leo was the mole, it was clear that Kaze was framed. Darcy beat herself up. Nobody, including her of all people, believed Kaze at the Lily Garden Hotel. Driven by rage, she even slapped Kaze. Darcy wished she could teleport to Lilyrose and bail Kaze out now. She was desperate to apologize to Kaze. “Come on.” Miru nodded and walked off with Darcy. “Hang on, Ms. Quint. I have not received the final payment.” Shane’s friendly voice came from behind. If it were not for the remaining 50 million dollars, Shane would not be so patient to waste his breath with these two women. Despite her distraught, Darcy stopped and called Riley to wire the money. The remaining 50 million dollars was converted into Bitcoins before reaching Shane’s account. Darcy said, “You got the money, Mr. Blanc. We should leave now.” “You mean business, Ms. Quint.” Shane gave the thumbs up and said gl
Miru felt better because Darcy did not blame her. She started to figure out ways to address the issues. “Leo bought Shane off to make it seem like I’m the mole. He probably wants me to take the fall, so Jeremiah would come after me instead.” Miru analyzed the situation she was in. “You can clear the air with Jeremiah when he goes after you. At least, you can show him the evidence.” Darcy had no idea who Jeremiah was. Nevertheless, she could tell from Miru’s words that the person took a neutral stance. Miru shook her head. “Jeremiah’s loyalty lies with my godfather. I have never met him before. I don’t even know if I can trust him because he has been through thick and thin with my godfather and Leo’s late father. “Besides, my sources in Lilyrose told me that Jeremiah didn’t kill Kaze for some reason. “Jeremiah went to Azure Estate. Cronus would have died had he not fled in time. “I doubt Jeremiah will give me a chance to talk if he determines that I am the mole.” D
“Darcy, where are you? I went to Clover Center to pick you up earlier but you weren’t there.” Kiev was in Horizon Mirror with Agnes and the others when he received the call from Darcy. “I’m in Melrose…” Darcy briefly talked about what happened. Kiev frowned. He knew Darcy went to Melrose overnight because of Kaze. She had already announced her divorce with Kaze, yet she was still thinking about him. Kiev was overwhelmed by jealousy. Darcy was still obsessed with Kaze and even asked him for help. He understood that Darcy had lingering feelings for Kaze but what about in the future? What would happen after he helped Darcy this time or another time? Kiev told himself the feelings would die off soon, so he took a deep breath and said, “Darcy, just hold on. I’m coming to Melrose now. My family has some connections there. I assure you Shane Blanc won’t give you a hard time!” “Thank you, Kiev. I’ll make it up to you when this is over.” Darcy was delighted and embarrass
“Just tell me what you need, Arthur. You wouldn’t be calling unless you have received orders.” Philip was surprised to get a call from Arthur. Though they were acquainted, they had only communicated because of work. “We have just left Rising Sun. Don’t approve the films for now.” Arthur was blunt. “I can do that, but can I ask why?” Philip was caught in a dilemma because he had just promised Jet to release the films. Philip needed to know if the orders to delay came from a high power who could cover his ass. “Since you got a call from me, you should know that there are eyes on Jet. “You should know what you can and cannot say. Otherwise, you never know when you’re going to lose your job.” Arthur threatened. Philip was reluctant. He accepted Jet’s payment, and now he had to go back on his word. Nevertheless, Arthur was part of the Viper’s Den, and his status was rather unique. Arthur provided services to confidential individuals. These individuals were elites among t
A balanced, profitable dynamic had been developed among the ports in Butterworth. Jet spotted his chance in the lucrative port business. He covertly took out some money to invest in a dying port. The port was situated in a more remote area. Some businesspeople favored more accessible ports. This drove shippers away from the dying port. Jet snagged the steal and improved the logistics and facilities around the area. The port was up and running again. Business at the port was decent enough. As the Frosts would run their business through the port, the local economy took off too. It was a good thing. However, Jet set his sights on several residential buildings around the area. He needed space to accommodate containers. The land was required to make business at the port more profitable. This triggered a whole new thing. Jet could spend some money to buy the residents out of their homes. However, the residents preferred to stay put in their long-time homes. No a
“I’ll keep the bank cards for now. I’ll talk to our superiors and give you a decision. Since the man said that the cards are meant for us, they won’t be going anywhere.” Knox had no idea who Kaze was, but he knew Arthur was with the Viper’s Den. Arthur must be someone from high places. Eli soon put the little incident behind him. He got a call from Aloysius yesterday and was made aware of Jet’s plans. The films had been put on hold for far too long, and the people above Eli were anxious to get things moving. Though Eli was surprised by the review board’s visit, everything was still in his control. Eli left the matter at that without reporting the incident to the higher-ups. The flashy, red car sped along the road. Arthur kept looking back at Kaze, eager to find out about the next plan. Arthur brought Kaze out today to witness how Eli and his team operated. As it happened, Eli adopted such a shallow ploy. Arthur was not surprised, though. Eli’s methods were common.
Eli dined offhandedly as if he had taken hold of the group. His words were layered with threat. “What? Are you trying to replace us?” Knox asked in disbelief. “I don’t have that power, but the investor does. I heard that he enjoyed dinner with your superiors. I’m sure the project will get the green light in no time. “Even if you didn’t approach me today, my team and I would have invited you out for a get-together.” Eli knew when to back down, easing the tension in the air. It was another type of reconciliation. Eli needed to go through the review board to get the rights to air the films. The carrot-and-stick approach was the best way forward. Kaze was surprised by the sophistication of Eli’s tactics. Still, he believed he had come to the right place. Sure enough, Jet would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Surely, he was bound to leave loose ends. Nevertheless, he probably did not care. Arthur cocked his head back to look at Kaze. Kaze grinned, unbothered
The purpose of the visit was to inform Rising Sun that the films did not make the cut. Since Rising Sun would not make the necessary amendments, the project would come to a halt. “Please, don’t. Since we are all here, we should talk it out.” It took Eli quite some effort to get the group to the hotel. Eli had plans to please the crowd, so he could not let them leave just yet. This went beyond getting the green light for the films. Eli needed to make the group happy. “There is nothing more to talk about. We can’t proceed unless you make the changes.” There was no way around it. Since Rising Sun refused to make the right amendments, and Knox had orders about putting a hold on Rising Sun’s films, that was one less problem for Knox to deal with. Eli could not let the group walk out on him. Hence, he quickly sent people in. Several thinly clad women entered, each holding a small bag. Despite the weightlessness, the bag appeared to be carrying something of substance. “You
For that reason, Rising Sun’s film productions were not cleared to be aired. “I told you the reason. The investor supplied us with the scripts, and we were told to base our productions on the scripts. Our hands are tied.”Eli would have made the amendments if he could. He knew where the problem lay. However, the company had to take the investor’s perspective into consideration. In the end, the films were yet to be approved for release. “I guess you won’t get the permission to air them then.” Knox was surprised that Rising Sun would not budge on the matter. Nevertheless, Knox and his team were not there to give the all-clear or talk some sense into Rising Sun. Knox and his team could care less about what Eli had to say. “We’re serious about getting the approval. “I’m sorry that we aren’t a better host for your visit today. Why don’t we move to the nearby hotel for a talk?” With the review board making an appearance, Eli knew there was still hope. If Eli did not grab
Arthur chuckled, his smile carrying a touch of sleaziness. “Oh, I see.” A realization dawned on Kaze. “Are you with quality control?” Several individuals in dark blue suits approached. The men and women carried files and documents. Kaze nodded without a word. “We are just here to announce the results. We shouldn’t be long.” Arthur came forward to engage with them. The group was likely given the heads-up as they had the right number of people. They swaggered into Rising Sun’s building. The general manager straightened up his tie in a fluster and walked out. None of the film productions made the cut yet, and the delay was costing the company money by the day. At this rate, the project would go down under. Eli, the general manager, rushed to the entrance upon learning the news. The review team was there to do one final check. The films would get the green light if the board found that everything was up to par. The head office would stop putting pressure on
Given Kaze’s status, Alfonso knew better than to have him waiting under the hot sun. Of course, he would send his people to be on standby for Kaze’s arrival. Peter only came to the rescue when Kaze was pestered by some street gang. Alfonso’s omission of Kaze’s identity led to this hiccup. Kaze did not care one bit about the incident. Heck, he did not even bring it up. Arthur straightened his back nervously, becoming even more cautious behind the wheel. “You knew, but why didn’t you say anything, Mr. Lee? You didn’t even tell on us.” Arthur could not understand why. However, he had more respect for the man. “I didn’t see a point. You’ll learn what happens when you displease me, so I won’t bother telling you now.” Kaze was mild-mannered as ever. He spoke softly without a hint of anger. All the more Arthur revered him. “Mr. Lee, we didn’t do our jobs right. We didn’t know who you were.“But my duty is to protect you in the dark. “We saw you getting out of the train
“Rising Sun is a media company. Several of their films are about to be released. They are trying to get them approved to air due to some censorship issues.” Arthur took out a document. “Are there any issues with the films? Why aren’t they approved yet?” Kaze asked curiously. Kaze had no idea. “There are some issues. They aren’t fit to be aired. “Typically, there aren’t a lot of restrictions for film productions so long as the themes aren’t sensitive topics. “But these films featured altered history. The company has been asked multiple times to make revisions, but the films still don’t make the cut.” The Viper’s Den’s members were not privy to the information. The Frosts were insignificant. Kaze was after the Frosts. Otherwise, the Viper’s Den would not waste its resources on a mere film production company. Jet’s investment of nearly ten million bucks in Rising Sun caught the Viper’s Den’s attention. The delayed approval of the films would be catastrophic to the in